Carnegie Hall Cinema
881 7th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10019
881 7th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10019
17 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Cinecom, Cineplex Odeon, Walter Reade Theatres
Functions: Concerts
Styles: Beaux-Arts
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Little Carnegie Theatre
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Elysee Theatre
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News About This Theater
- Nov 7, 2005 — Bleecker Street Cinema
This was a cute cinema tucked under the famed Carnegie Hall. It had a moderate size cinema and then a screening room size cinema on the lobby level all on the side entrance on 7th Avenue of the landmark. It opened on May 28, 1961 with the American premiere of Maria Schell in “White Nights”(Le Notti Bianche) and showed indie films. In the early-1970’s it was screening gay porn movies.
It closed for a while and then reopened under Cineplex Odeon management on June 19, 1997 then closed again on October 27, 1997. It was gutted and turned into added concert hall space named Zankel Hall which has seating for 599.
Contributed by
jamal savage
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Recent comments (view all 93 comments)
Hello-
I thank Purplepielord for his link of April 2013. but I still don’t see how the theater in the photo at the top could possibly have been housed in the same building as the bar Neveda Smith’s its current occupant.
I saw 6 movies here from 1952 to the sixties. All 6 are getting,today, 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating – Diabolique, Purple Noon, Jeux Interdits, Pather Panchali, The Music Room and I can’t remember the 3rd by S. Ray. Great stuff, back in the day. I haven’t been in a movie theatre since ‘04, Delovely…..mediocre. Miss The Carnegie. NYC was my Oyster back then….not now.
I saw Joan Bennett in person here in November of 1980. It was a double feature of Scarlet Street and Woman in the Window, but in between features there was a short version of Alice In Wonderland in which Joan appeared. Joan walked up the stage and answered questions. It was a thrill to see her in person.
Just add Cineplex Odeon open the theatre under their management on June 19, 1987
Opened on May 28th, 1961 with “White Nights”. Grand opening ad posted. It was owned by Cinecom Theatres in the mid 1970’s.
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/6011/photos/319677
Excellent piece on silent film (and organ) at the Carnegie Hall Cinema. Nice photos. http://www.markhermanproductions.com/uploads/7/3/6/6/7366751/1983_09_the_console.pdf
Please update, theatre closed October 27, 1997
I was a habitue of the Carnegie Hall Cinema from “The War Game” in 1967 to the late 1980s. I’m talking hundreds of visits. What I don’t recall is any gay porn, or porn of any kind. When, exactly, did this occur?
Also, are you sure that the photo is of the interior of the Carnegie Hall Cinema? It doesn’t look at all familiar.
The photo from 5/24/16 should be on the opening page; it’s more a true representation of the cinema, rather than its concert hall days.